Category Archives: Uncategorized

The community that I am involved in is the Desi community. Desi is a term used to describe people from South Asia such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. I am proud to be in this community because I can get the support from my fellow brown people. Another great aspect of my community is the culture itself. We have great food such as curry. We can make curry out of anything and it will taste awesome. In addition to that, our clothing are unique from the western world. It is very colorful and joyful. The community itself is full of happiness and I am proud to be Desi.

However, one issue that I see in my community is that they do not like to mix. Even though both India, Pakitsian and Bangladesh are all Desi and share similar cultural values, they can not stand one another. This is true specially when it comes to older people. The reason for this being are the old historic facts. Due to the War in Pakistan and Bangladesh over about 60 years ago, older generation do not get along with one another and judge each other. On top of that Pakistan and India are constantly fighting with one another because of a common land and they can’t get along with each other. In order to a address this problem, I think the new generation should get involved and influence the older generation because it is us who will run the future. So if we help the older generation understand that we all share the same culture and are neighbors, we can help get the Desi community as a whole. 

A community I am a part of is the Mexican Community. I was raised with both of my parents and since both of them are Mexican I feel so proud to be part of this community. Being part of this community also means enjoying the culture, such as the food, music, fashion, and the family. One important thing about the Mexican community is that families are always together no matter the situation. So if you ever have a problem, you won’t be alone and you can always count on your family.I think this is important because not all people are close together with their families. The food is also great, everyone likes it and many people try making it there own way. I also like the fact that people who are part of the Mexican community are hard working. There are many Mexicans fathers who come to the United States to get a job and earn money so they can build a house in Mexico and to send money to their families. This shows the sacrifices they do in order to succeed. They leave their wives and children in Mexico so they can get a better living.

A problem in the Mexican community is that they often face racism in the United States just for being Mexican. Ever since the trump election people have showed hate towards Mexican because of the way the president talks about them. He has said that Mexicans are rapists, drug dealers and that they are bringing crimes and problems to the United States. Because of this people have showed hate towards Mexicans. This is a problem that just doesn’t seem to stop because Mexicans basically go through this everyday whether at work or in the streets. Some ways that this problem can be solved is to work hard and don’t get in trouble with the law. To show everyone that Mexicans are not what the president says and that they are hard workers who are just trying to succeed.

One of the many communities I’m part of is the mixed communities. Which is basically where all the biracial children fit in. Within this community I have met many other people who love their divide in culture just as much as I do. It’s amazing to say that I’m apart of not only one but two different cultures, religions, and customs. Getting to be part of both the Ecuadorian and Guyanese community has shown me how much each had to offer. It also showed me how much each culture can compliment each-other. Since my fathers side(Ecuadorian) is so calm and shy my mothers side(Guyanese) brings such a great light to the Ecuadorian side. When combined together at a party I can truly see how much each side shines through in their food and music. One aspect though that I believe needs improvement is definitely the compassion. Although it may not seem a big deal to others it’s often hard to keep a good relationship with two very different cultures. Don’t get me wrong when they are happy and together it’s enlightening but it’s often hard to get them at that point. It’s often hard to understand another culture from our own because we don’t know where they’re coming from. Which is something that often happens. My mother’s Guyanese side is more outspoken and loud and as such my fathers Ecuadorian side is confused as to what they’re trying to communicate. My mother’s words can often be mistaken as rude and inconsiderate because she’s so loud about it. Although it isn’t a major problem in the community I think the overall empathy that each side gives each other should be more open.  As a mixed child though I could bring more light to this issue in order to improve it. I could be more vocal about it to each separate community so it can be recognized as a problem that should be fixed.

Being apart of the CUNY community was the last thing I wanted. I always thought I thought I would be dorming but instead I have to commute to school everyday and being so tired from the commute. Not only this the only school near my house is CSI. CSI has a 100% acceptance rate and is not know as the best school as graduation rates are not the best and the schools education is not the best. As my friends tell me all the time how bad there professors are. This was until I found out about Baruch it was a CUNY school which meant it was cheap and it had a good reputation. I always knew I wanted to do a business and this school was perfect. One problem with this community is that people make it seem like you earn less of an education which is not true in most CUNY schools the education is good. One thing I can do to make a change is to inform others on how CUNY schools are actually good and teach you a-lot for a cheaper price.

The community that I am apart of is the CUNY community. For a long time, I looked down at this community. While I was deciding what colleges to go to, I was avoiding city colleges. I felt like CUNY schools wouldn’t be able to give me the best quality of education. I got these feelings from people who told me about CUNY. Later, however, I ended choosing a CUNY school, Baruch. Going to a CUNY school now, I have a completely different view of CUNY schools. There are so many opportunities available, and I feel like I’m at a home with a big family. However, CUNY’s biggest issue is the amount of funding that it receives. They don’t get a lot of funding which hinders the resources and environment of students. For example, at Baruch, the 17 lex building has been under construction for a long time. The elevators constantly do not work, there are problems with the heater system and other issues. I walked into the building today and there was a sign that said that only bathrooms on floors 1-7 are working. When a student sees that a school is lacking basic resources, like working bathrooms, they look down upon the system. Also, it is very hard to find spots to do work. Besides the library, Baruch doesn’t have many student areas. This is because there are a lot of students which is a problem that CUNY has. Having minimum funding means that CUNY schools cannot accommodate all their students. I am currently a part of a committee in the Baruch undergraduate student government. I am already taking the initiative to solve this problem because it is one of USG’s projects. Specifically, we are preparing to go to Albany to advocate for CUNY to get more funding. There, we are hoping to appeal to legislatures and convince them to boost the funding for CUNY schools, especially Baruch. We are quick to complain about what the school is lacking, but we must start advocating and fighting for our school because it is our community and deserves attention.

Being a New Yorker is an interesting experience. There are so many things that make this city great. Everyone knows about the plethora of different monuments, buildings and locations in New York, they make this city famous. By far my favorite part about being a New Yorker is that there are so many different people, here from distinct parts of the world. This exposes us New Yorkers to what these cultures are. The city gives them the ability to share their culture with the rest of New York. For example great restaurants in both Manhattan and Brooklyn and clothing stores in Queens. One of the best places I’ve found to see these distinctions clearly is in the subway system. So many different people regardless of race, religion, and social class (up to a point) take the subway, and its almost as if there was an even playing field.

Despite this city being amazing there are countless things that definitely hinder the city from being better. Of course the subway system and the trains run much smoother. Also the trash which is annoyingly piled up on the block waiting to be collected. The endless amount of littering is one of the problems that bother me most often. It is easy for one to take their trash with them when they eat at a park or anywhere else. In the city there are trash cans on almost every block and they should be used more often. There are so many good reasons as to why you shouldn’t litter; its bad for the environment, its illegal, it contributes to bad health and overall it makes the city look worse. Obviously the easy fix would be to use the trash cans more, and if it isn’t available, hold onto your trash until it is. Despite this I think why people litter is because they are lazy. So I believe the easiest way to combat this would be to implement more trash receptacles on city streets (it would be a step ahead if they were recycled too). In order to do this New Yorkers should advocate to their government officials and help reduce the littering and making the city much more beautiful for the millions that travel here every year.

What it is to be a Mexican woman.

I always knew that I was treated differently from other people. I am a Mexican immigrant in the United States where there is bias, and we are unwelcomed. I am Mexican and there is a negative aspect around that word especially by people like the President of the United States. For a long time, I have felt like I had to defend my who I am and where I come from.

Being a Woman does not make being a Mexican American person any easier. There is so much machismo in Mexican culture. It means misogyny but in Mexico men are proud to be misogynistic. The men take pride in being machos. Being machos means that women cannot do everything they do and not as good as they can.

The biggest problem I see in my community is how were meant to act. When I was growing up I was questioned for not being a party person, and I was I just was not into partying every week. The girls that were like me were all very different from me. They are told that being party girls is cool and not caring about an education was fine, but I did not see it this way. I feel like girls like me have no role models which have been truly successful in the United States, so we do not strive for it.

The issue with people in my community is not having someone to help guide them. Someone who shows them that we can be successful. I looked up to my teacher who looked like me and came from the same background. She went to NYU and she became a teacher in my high school she helped me with my college application process.

I know there are programs which connect people to role models and guiders, but the issue can be resolved when people are aware of the resources they have.

Being part of the Women in Aviation community has been a wonderful experience from the moment I joined my Junior year in high school. Knowing that the majority of the Aviation field is consisted of men, it is important for us women to look out for each other, and help support one another in a male dominating industry. The Women in Aviation community consist of women who are certified Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, Airline and Commercial Pilots, Avionics Equipment Mechanics, Air Traffic Controllers, Aerospace Engineers, and others more. Back in the day, these types of jobs for women were unheard of; Aviation related schools, such as my old high school, would not accept any females (before the 1970’s) because they didn’t think it was appropriate for a women to get involved with an industry that consisted of technical and hands on work. Even for women who did manage to get a job in the field, they would feel less than welcomed by other male colleagues; they’d even go as far as harass these women who only wanted to be treated as an equal, have a sense of independence, and get away from the traditional housewife role.  Today, the number of women who are in the industry have grown tremendously since then. Though this may be true, there are still men in the industry who can’t seem to leave the past behind. For this reason, the Women in Aviation International, a non-profit organization, is focused on the encouragement and improvement of women in any aviation career field/ interest. Year round resources are provided to help women in the aviation field and to motivate younger generations of women to consider being a part of the industry as well. Because of the Women in Aviation community and my high school, I am almost a certified Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AKA Aircraft mechanic), and for that reason, I want to inspire younger generations of women to consider joining the field and to remind them that they can achieve absolutely anything.

Being apart of the African community has truly been  a blessing. At this point of my life I can honestly say  being African is my biggest flex. It truly is a beautiful thing to know that many people will numerous things in order to be apart of the culture and history we’ve created, in terms of the music, dancing, clothing, remedies and of course the food. The different varieties of food is one of the main things that keep us close together. Moving on, an issue that I see that is present within the African community is the lack of resources to find a job, our immigrant parents always found ways to bring money home may it be braiding hair at home, cooking for others or just selling clothes that they don’t wear. It simply isn’t enough which causes many families to move back home because they simply didn’t know the tools and the requirements to getting a well decent job. I blame the workforce is set up mainly because you need to fit this requirement in order to get the job. I can guarantee you the African community has given birth to many amazing minds and ideas that can really bring something different that is needed for that specific company or business to take off to new heights that they have dreamed of in their lives. The solution I purpose is to have jobs open up more to having different talents in the work environment so that something spectacular can come from it.

I am part of the Hispanic Community where many cultures come together as one especially with what we have in common which is speaking the Spanish language. I find it very interesting being a part of this community because I get to learn about several different hispanic cultures. So far, I know some things about the Ecuadorian, Colombian, Mexican, Peruvian, Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Spain Culture. Although there’s a lot of good and interesting things about this community, there’s also some issues that should be addressed. Many of these hispanic countries suffer from a lot of poverty due to the countries’ economic problems. Many hispanic families in countries such as Ecuador, Mexico, Honduras suffer from poverty. I believe that Poverty is one of the biggest issues in this community because people are living a hard life trying to find ways to support themselves and their families but there is  lack of attention and help that they get from others. When I hear about the Poverty problems in these countries, I think about how children are negatively affected by problems  and it makes me upset. I think that this issue of poverty can be addressed by giving more free education to these children that are suffering to live a stable life. It can help children receive help and  have somewhere is be and learn about  many things that  can inspire them to want a better future. A future that can create a turning point in their lives and take them out of poverty, And this can be a great help for themselves and further generations after that.Ever since I was a child, I used to watch tv ads that would talk about helping families suffering from poverty, especially helping their children of these families. And I used to think to myself, “ What can I do to help these children that are going through many challenges just to survive?’’ And I used to think a lot about it and now in days, I’m thinking about sending donations to families with children in need in the future if I ever get the opportunity. I really hope one day I will get to do so because it will be a great help for them.